"If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there."
-Lewis Carroll
Biography:
The English poet and writer Lewis Carroll, born Charles Lutwidge Dodgson on January 27, 1832, is known for many works that are still well known today, the most famous of which are Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. He was the first of 11 children, his father being a clergyman, and was popular among his family, always being able to entertain them with tricks, poems, and games. He attended two different colleges the first of which being Rugby School and the second being Christ Church College, Oxford, where he later stayed lecturing about mathematics. he was also very interested in photography, and took many pictures, most of which were of the children of his close friends, one of which being Alice Liddell, who many say inspired the character Alice in Alice in Wonderland ( published 1865), and through the Looking Glass ( published 1872). He was also author of many original poems such as the Walrus and the Carpenter, Jabberwocky, Humpty Dumpty, and many many more. carroll died on January 14, 1898 at the age of 66.
Reaction:
My personal interpretation to this poem is that Carroll is trying to show us that childhood is a simple and happy time, being able to be pleased by very uncomplicated stories games and riddles and so on. Carroll uses spring to symbolize the beginning of life and uses Autumn not as death but as the death of childhood, this is just my personal take on the poem, but I feel it is justified. The poem's rhyme scheme is basically triplicates of A B A C B A D, and the whole poem uses varied personifications and metephor
Works:
Life Is But A Dream
A boat, beneath a sunny sky
Lingering onward dreamily
In an evening of July--
Children three that nestle near,
Eager eye and willing ear,
Pleased a simple tale to hear--
Long has paled that sunny sky;
Echoes fade and memories die
;Autumn frosts have slain July.
Still she haunts me, phantomwise,
Alice moving under skies
Never seen by waking eyes.
Children yet, the tale to hear,
Eager eye and willing ear,
Lovingly shall nestle near.
In a Wonderland they lie
, Dreaming as the days go by,
Dreaming as the summers die;
Ever drifting down the stream--
Lingering in the golden gleam--
Life, what is it but a dream?
Reaction:
This is one of my favorite Lewis Carroll poems, and I believe is a poem about the manipulation of the naive, and the manipulators always asking for something to be done that could not possibly be done without much work, this is displayed when the walrus asks if all the sand could be swept up and when he asks the oysters to walk when they have no feet. The walrus is the only manipulator in the poem though, as the carpenter is close by the walrus but is perhaps only a simpothizer, or one that the walrus takes advantage of in the long term and therefore cannot get rid of him. The carpenter though, as well as the elder oyster seem as if they symbolize people who see wehats going wrong but choose no to voice it, this is only how i see the poem, but again if you look at it, it seems logical. The walrus and the carpenter has a rhyme scheme of A B C B D B E F G F H F I J K J L J M N O N P N Q R S R T R U V W V X V, and the poem itself is one big metaphor, with obscure meanings and so on, as you can see below, oysters with feet.
The Walrus and the Carpenter
The sun was shining on the sea,/ Shining with all his might; / He did his very best to make/ The billows smooth and bright--/ And this was odd, because it was/ The middle of the night. / The moon was shining sulkily,/ Because she thought the sun / Had got no business to be there/ After the day was done-- / "It's very rude of him," she said,/ "To come and spoil the fun!" / The sea was wet as wet could be,/ The sands were dry as dry. / You could not see a cloud, because/ No cloud was in the sky; / No birds were flying overhead--/ There were no birds to fly. / The Walrus and the Carpenter/ Were walking close at hand; / They wept like anything to see/ Such quantities of sand-- / "If this were only cleared away,"/ They said, "it would be grand!" / "If seven maids with seven mops/ Swept it for half a year, / Do you suppose," the Walrus said,/ "That they could get it clear?" / "I doubt it," said the Carpenter,/ And shed a bitter tear. / "O Oysters, come and walk with us!" / The Walrus did beseech. / "A Pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,/ Along the briny beach; / We cannot do with more than four,/ To give a hand to each." / The eldest Oyster looked at him,/ But never a word he said; / The eldest Oyster winked his eye,/ And shook his heavy head-- / Meaning to say he did not choose/ To leave the oyster-bed. / But four young Oysters hurried up,/ All eager for the treat; / Their coats were brushed, their faces washed, / Their shoes were clean and neat-- / And this was odd, because, you know,/ They hadn't any feet. / Four other Oysters followed them,/ And yet another four; / And thick and fast they came at last,/ And more, and more, and more-- / All hopping through the frothy waves,/ And scrambling to the shore. / The Walrus and the Carpenter / Walked on a mile or so, / And then they rested on a rock/ Conveniently low-- / And all the little Oysters stood/ And waited in a row. / "The time has come," the Walrus said, / "To talk of many things: / Of shoes -- and ships -- and sealing-wax --/ Of cabbages -- and kings -- / And why the sea is boiling hot--/ And whether pigs have wings." / "But wait a bit," the Oysters cried,/ "Before we have our chat; / For some of us are out of breath,/ And all of us are fat!" / "No hurry!" said the Carpenter./ They thanked him much for that./ "A loaf of bread," the Walrus said,/ "Is what we chiefly need; / Pepper and vinegar besides / Are very good indeed-- / Now, if you're ready, Oysters dear,/ We can begin to feed." / "But not on us!" the Oysters cried,/ Turning a little blue. / "After such kindness, that would be/ A dismal thing to do!" / "The night is fine," the Walrus said./ "Do you admire the view?" / "It was so kind of you to come!/ And you are very nice!" / The Carpenter said nothing but,/ "Cut us another slice. / I wish you were not quite so deaf--/ I've had to ask you twice!" / "It seems a shame," the Walrus said,/ "To play them such a trick. / After we've brought them out so far,/ And made them trot so quick!" / The Carpenter said nothing but, / "The butter's spread too thick!" / "I weep for you," the Walrus said;/ "I deeply sympathize." / With sobs and tears he sorted out/ Those of the largest size, / Holding his pocket-handkerchief/ Before his streaming eyes. / "O Oysters," said the Carpenter,/ "You've had a pleasant run! / Shall we be trotting home again?"/ But answer came there none-- / And this was scarcely odd, because/ They'd eaten every one. /
Reaction:
I find this to be a rather humorous poem that sort of, I think, trying to show that the old are not always the weak, that the wise are not always not strong, for Father William shows that by keeping limber and doing other things for his body he stays able to do the things he could do in his youth. This poem may also be trying to show us that although things age and disappear somethings linger on always to be known. The Rhyme scheme of this particular poem is A B A B C D C D E F E F G H G H I J I J K L K L M N M N O P O P.
Father William
You are old, Father William," the young man said, / "And your hair has become very white; / And yet you incessantly stand on your head-- / Do you think, at your age, it is right?" / "In my youth," Father William replied to his son,/ "I feared it might injure the brain; / But, now that I'm perfectly sure I have none, / Why, I do it again and again." / "You are old," said the youth, "as I mentioned before,/ And have grown most uncommonly fat;/ Yet you turned a back-somersault in at the door-- / Pray, what is the reason of that?" / "In my youth," said the sage, as he shook his gray locks,/ "I kept all my limbs very supple/ By the use of this ointment -- one shilling the box -- / Allow me to sell you a couple?" / "You are old," said the youth, "and your jaws are too weak / For anything tougher than suet; / Yet you finished the goose, with the bones and the beak-- / Pray, how did you manage to do it?" / "In my youth," said his father, "I took to the law, / And argued each case with my wife; / And the muscular strength which it gave to my jaw / Has lasted the rest of my life." / "You are old," said the youth, "one would hardly suppose / That your eye was as steady as ever; / Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose-- / What made you so awfully clever?" / "I have answered three questions, and that is enough," / Said his father; "don't give yourself airs! / Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff? / Be off, or I'll kick you down-stairs!" /
"If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there."
-Lewis Carroll
Biography:
The English poet and writer Lewis Carroll, born Charles Lutwidge Dodgson on January 27, 1832, is known for many works that are still well known today, the most famous of which are Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. He was the first of 11 children, his father being a clergyman, and was popular among his family, always being able to entertain them with tricks, poems, and games. He attended two different colleges the first of which being Rugby School and the second being Christ Church College, Oxford, where he later stayed lecturing about mathematics. he was also very interested in photography, and took many pictures, most of which were of the children of his close friends, one of which being Alice Liddell, who many say inspired the character Alice in Alice in Wonderland ( published 1865), and through the Looking Glass ( published 1872). He was also author of many original poems such as the Walrus and the Carpenter, Jabberwocky, Humpty Dumpty, and many many more. carroll died on January 14, 1898 at the age of 66.My personal interpretation to this poem is that Carroll is trying to show us that childhood is a simple and happy time, being able to be pleased by very uncomplicated stories games and riddles and so on. Carroll uses spring to symbolize the beginning of life and uses Autumn not as death but as the death of childhood, this is just my personal take on the poem, but I feel it is justified. The poem's rhyme scheme is basically triplicates of A B A C B A D, and the whole poem uses varied personifications and metephor
Works:
Life Is But A Dream
A boat, beneath a sunny sky
Lingering onward dreamily
In an evening of July--
Children three that nestle near,
Eager eye and willing ear,
Pleased a simple tale to hear--
Long has paled that sunny sky;
Echoes fade and memories die
;Autumn frosts have slain July.
Still she haunts me, phantomwise,
Alice moving under skies
Never seen by waking eyes.
Children yet, the tale to hear,
Eager eye and willing ear,
Lovingly shall nestle near.
In a Wonderland they lie
, Dreaming as the days go by,
Dreaming as the summers die;
Ever drifting down the stream--
Lingering in the golden gleam--
Life, what is it but a dream?
This is one of my favorite Lewis Carroll poems, and I believe is a poem about the manipulation of the naive, and the manipulators always asking for something to be done that could not possibly be done without much work, this is displayed when the walrus asks if all the sand could be swept up and when he asks the oysters to walk when they have no feet. The walrus is the only manipulator in the poem though, as the carpenter is close by the walrus but is perhaps only a simpothizer, or one that the walrus takes advantage of in the long term and therefore cannot get rid of him. The carpenter though, as well as the elder oyster seem as if they symbolize people who see wehats going wrong but choose no to voice it, this is only how i see the poem, but again if you look at it, it seems logical. The walrus and the carpenter has a rhyme scheme of A B C B D B E F G F H F I J K J L J M N O N P N Q R S R T R U V W V X V, and the poem itself is one big metaphor, with obscure meanings and so on, as you can see below, oysters with feet.
The sun was shining on the sea,/ Shining with all his might; / He did his very best to make/ The billows smooth and bright--/ And this was odd, because it was/ The middle of the night. / The moon was shining sulkily,/ Because she thought the sun / Had got no business to be there/ After the day was done-- / "It's very rude of him," she said,/ "To come and spoil the fun!" / The sea was wet as wet could be,/ The sands were dry as dry. / You could not see a cloud, because/ No cloud was in the sky; / No birds were flying overhead--/ There were no birds to fly. / The Walrus and the Carpenter/ Were walking close at hand; / They wept like anything to see/ Such quantities of sand-- / "If this were only cleared away,"/ They said, "it would be grand!" / "If seven maids with seven mops/ Swept it for half a year, / Do you suppose," the Walrus said,/ "That they could get it clear?" / "I doubt it," said the Carpenter,/ And shed a bitter tear. / "O Oysters, come and walk with us!" / The Walrus did beseech. / "A Pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,/ Along the briny beach; / We cannot do with more than four,/ To give a hand to each." / The eldest Oyster looked at him,/ But never a word he said; / The eldest Oyster winked his eye,/ And shook his heavy head-- / Meaning to say he did not choose/ To leave the oyster-bed. / But four young Oysters hurried up,/ All eager for the treat; / Their coats were brushed, their faces washed, / Their shoes were clean and neat-- / And this was odd, because, you know,/ They hadn't any feet. / Four other Oysters followed them,/ And yet another four; / And thick and fast they came at last,/ And more, and more, and more-- / All hopping through the frothy waves,/ And scrambling to the shore. / The Walrus and the Carpenter / Walked on a mile or so, / And then they rested on a rock/ Conveniently low-- / And all the little Oysters stood/ And waited in a row. / "The time has come," the Walrus said, / "To talk of many things: / Of shoes -- and ships -- and sealing-wax --/ Of cabbages -- and kings -- / And why the sea is boiling hot--/ And whether pigs have wings." / "But wait a bit," the Oysters cried,/ "Before we have our chat; / For some of us are out of breath,/ And all of us are fat!" / "No hurry!" said the Carpenter./ They thanked him much for that./ "A loaf of bread," the Walrus said,/ "Is what we chiefly need; / Pepper and vinegar besides / Are very good indeed-- / Now, if you're ready, Oysters dear,/ We can begin to feed." / "But not on us!" the Oysters cried,/ Turning a little blue. / "After such kindness, that would be/ A dismal thing to do!" / "The night is fine," the Walrus said./ "Do you admire the view?" / "It was so kind of you to come!/ And you are very nice!" / The Carpenter said nothing but,/ "Cut us another slice. / I wish you were not quite so deaf--/ I've had to ask you twice!" / "It seems a shame," the Walrus said,/ "To play them such a trick. / After we've brought them out so far,/ And made them trot so quick!" / The Carpenter said nothing but, / "The butter's spread too thick!" / "I weep for you," the Walrus said;/ "I deeply sympathize." / With sobs and tears he sorted out/ Those of the largest size, / Holding his pocket-handkerchief/ Before his streaming eyes. / "O Oysters," said the Carpenter,/ "You've had a pleasant run! / Shall we be trotting home again?"/ But answer came there none-- / And this was scarcely odd, because/ They'd eaten every one. /
I find this to be a rather humorous poem that sort of, I think, trying to show that the old are not always the weak, that the wise are not always not strong, for Father William shows that by keeping limber and doing other things for his body he stays able to do the things he could do in his youth. This poem may also be trying to show us that although things age and disappear somethings linger on always to be known. The Rhyme scheme of this particular poem is A B A B C D C D E F E F G H G H I J I J K L K L M N M N O P O P.
You are old, Father William," the young man said, / "And your hair has become very white; / And yet you incessantly stand on your head-- / Do you think, at your age, it is right?" / "In my youth," Father William replied to his son,/ "I feared it might injure the brain; / But, now that I'm perfectly sure I have none, / Why, I do it again and again." / "You are old," said the youth, "as I mentioned before,/ And have grown most uncommonly fat;/ Yet you turned a back-somersault in at the door-- / Pray, what is the reason of that?" / "In my youth," said the sage, as he shook his gray locks,/ "I kept all my limbs very supple/ By the use of this ointment -- one shilling the box -- / Allow me to sell you a couple?" / "You are old," said the youth, "and your jaws are too weak / For anything tougher than suet; / Yet you finished the goose, with the bones and the beak-- / Pray, how did you manage to do it?" / "In my youth," said his father, "I took to the law, / And argued each case with my wife; / And the muscular strength which it gave to my jaw / Has lasted the rest of my life." / "You are old," said the youth, "one would hardly suppose / That your eye was as steady as ever; / Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose-- / What made you so awfully clever?" / "I have answered three questions, and that is enough," / Said his father; "don't give yourself airs! / Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff? / Be off, or I'll kick you down-stairs!" /